Risk Assessment
by Macx
Summary: sequel to Silent Sound of Loneliness. One month into their new relationship Nicks finds that meeting one's family isn't always fun and games. Especially when it comes to older brothers...
1. Chapter 1

Nick was breathing hard, aware of every muscle in his body screaming abuse, every nerve ending ablaze, every sound and scent and sight clearer and sharper to him. He was hyper-aware, ready to fight back once again, ready to unleash everything he was upon his attackers.

Something inside him, something dark and powerful, was snarling and snapping, wanting to go another round. His hands clenched and unclenched and while he knew he was bleeding, it wasn't important. The bruises didn't matter. The cuts were superficial and already had stopped bleeding. The one tear in his shoulder was only a bother right now.

Gray eyes, deep and dark and filled with power, met the golden ones of the man who had just dispatched of several attackers.

He had never seen Sean Renard in his full form and looking at the sleek creature, so powerful and deadly and… beautiful, Nick felt something else. Sharp and hungry and wanting this man like he had never wanted him before. A month into their relationship as mates and he was still as horny as a teenager sometimes.

Who was he kidding? Whenever he looked at the other man outside their work relationship he wanted to touch him, make sure this was truly real.

There was movement to his left.

Nick turned quickly, gun coming up, pointing at the stranger who just smiled at him. He was taller than Nick, looked strangely familiar, and there was a smirk reflecting in those eyes that he didn't like. Dressed in an expensive suit, he looked like a businessman who had just come off a plane.

"Bravo, Grimm," the man said with a faint accent, clapping his hands almost mockingly. "I didn't think you had come this far."

There was a snarl of fury from the regnant at his side. Nick felt the anger like a living thing through the connection he shared with his mate. Still new to the bond, still trying to get accustomed to someone else's emotions, he almost flinched at the ferocity of the upheaval.

"You!"

Sean knew him?

Wings snapped open and claws flexed. And then the regnant shot forward and grabbed the other man by the throat. Nick had never seen him move this fast, this sleek and deadly, this precise. There was a flurry of movement, roars and hisses and a yell of primal rage.

The sensation along the link was muted, the emotions there but still shielded. Despite his fury, the regnant was still taking care not to overwhelm the Grimm.

Nick tried to follow the fighters with his gun, then suddenly the two men were apart, Renard baring impressive teeth. The stranger's clothes were torn, rumpled, and – Nick blinked, tilting his head – his features shifted. The eyes were a familiar orange and there were also claws at the end of his fingers.

Those eyes – not unlike Renard's, but not like his mate's either – were on Nick and a slow smirk was on his lips. A drop of blood oozed from his cut lip.

"Temper, temper," he chuckled. "All for the Grimm? Impressive, my dear Sean."

"Who are you?" the Grimm in question hissed.

The man smoothed down his rumpled suit, looking mournfully at a tear. "I should have known that Sean wouldn't mention me. Or anyone else. An oversight to be expected."

Renard approached, each step measured, his human façade almost back in place. But his eyes were a deep orange, glowing dangerously. "Detective Burkhardt, meet Maurice Arnaud Henri Renard. My older brother." Brows drew down over cold eyes. "Who I warned not to enter my protectorate."

Maurice chuckled, flicking lint off one shoulder. "Ah, but what older brother could pass up the chance to meet the mate of the Guardian of Portland?"

Renard's expression became glacial. "A suicidal one."

Another smirk.

Nick's face was emotionless, cold, hard. He sized the other man up, seeing more of the family resemblance now. The hair was longer than Sean's, who kept his cropped very short, and it had less gray. He looked more dark blond. The features were sharp, the olive complexion like Sean's. but with a lot more arrogance. And haughtiness.

The very human looking, blue eyes meeting his own gaze were cool and calculating, the complete opposite to the smile on his face. And if he squinted he could see the faint shift in the man's features.

Definitely a regnant.

And Nick already hated his guts.

So much for Meet The Family.

"You sent them?" he asked evenly.

"To test if you are worthy of my brother."

Worthy? Test?

Something inside of Nick was close to snapping, disbelief and anger fighting for dominance. It was something he rarely felt. Something that had been set free when Marie Kessler had died, when the Grimm in him had become active.

And the dark part screeched at the very idea that Renard's brother had sent a bunch of attackers after him to test his… his… worthiness?

A hand on his shoulder kept him from doing something very stupid. Renard stepped beside him, then neatly in front of the smaller man. The wings obscured his view, but he repositioned himself to keep an eye on matters without taking himself from behind Sean.

"I believe you saw what you needed to see. Leave." Renard's voice was so controlled, it hurt to listen to the words. It wouldn't take much to break the regnant's control.

Nick still had his gun pointed at the older Renard, his aim steady. He wouldn't miss.

"His claim on you has changed you, brother," Maurice only said lightly. "He's a very strong one. Too bad you found him first."

Renard snarled and Nick braced himself, glaring at the brother.

"Nadine is a fine mate, but this one? Oh, you got yourself perfection, my dear."

He felt the light presence in the back of his mind strengthen, like a rubber band stretching to its limit and about to snap. It was pulling at him, trying to get loose, and he knew what it meant. Sean was using him to keep his balance and if Nick let go, the regnant would do something very stupid.

"I didn't believe you had initiated a bond with a man under your command," the older regnant continued leisurely. "Nor did I want to believe that he is a Grimm. But as I see, he is both. A very handsome man and a very strong Grimm."

There was a leer on the smooth features and Nick's brows drew down. He really, really wanted to wipe that look off the other's face.

"Maurice…" The warning from Sean was clear.

Nick reached for the strained presence in his head, tried to think soothing thoughts, tried to keep Sean in line without physically touching him. No words were lost between them, but Renard was very much aware of his mate's attempts to keep him calm. The prior explosion of violence had surprised Nick, had overrun his defenses and his ability to control the regnant at least a little.

The other regnant smiled more. "Not that you would take care of the continuation of the family name, brother. You take what you want and that's it. Ah, youth. No pressure. You can have all the fun. And your Grimm looks like a lot of fun. Probably more than Bella. You remember that young, vivacious lady, don't you? She had such potential. And she would have made a good partner. Maybe not a mate like him, but a woman to bear your children."

Renard's wings snapped open in full glory once more and his lips were pulled back over impressively long fangs in a mouth that no longer resembled a human's.

_Not again!_

Obscured by the wings, Nick pushed against one and Renard moved it almost without thinking as the Grimm joined him at his side, no longer protectively behind his back, gun aiming at Maurice once more.

The safety was off.

The older Renard laughed softly. "Oh so tamed, brother. He has you leashed!"

The pull on his control was by now almost painful. Renard, always so composed and controlled, was ready to tear into his sibling once more, this time not as a warning where only clothes got torn. Nick felt the intent to maim. He knew if he stepped back and let it happen, it would.

His whole body tensed with the effort to hold his mate, feeling pain shoot through his abused body from where the attackers had actually drawn blood. He ignored the discomfort. It was something he had learned by now. The injuries were bothersome, but not life-threatening, and it was his job to keep Sean Renard from doing something very, very stupid.

This was family. Granted, family that really got on Nick's nerves and he would have loved nothing more than to kick the older man's ass himself, but this was a family matter.

And family mattered.

Maurice shot him a calculating look. Then he tilted his head once more, looking a bit more serious.

"Still touchy over the claim, brother? I should have known. But you really don't have to protect him. He's done very well on his own."

Nick felt the hot and fast burning anger coming off Renard like a living thing, touching the same comparatively cold anger inside him. Where his rage at the audacity of this man was cool and calculating, Sean was hot and flustered and close to primal rage. Standing at his side, Nick glanced momentarily at the impressive creature, then purposefully let some of the tension drain just a little. Trying to diffuse the situation. Keeping the psychic bond open and hoping that it would go through.

Despite the blood and the violence of before, the Grimm tried to mediate and calm the upset regnant bonded to him. In his own way. Showing the creature side of his mate that he wasn't taking Maurice as a serious threat any more. A bothersome itch, maybe. Someone who should take a hint and leave, but no one he might regard an enemy.

_Fingers crossed_, he thought fiercely.


	2. Chapter 2

Wings whispered, moving gently, still out and imposing, but Renard was picking up on the physical cues. Good. He was keeping more than a partial sense on Nick and the Grimm was using that to his advantage.

Maurice smirked. "Looks like he knows what he's doing," he remarked, nodding at Nick. "A very strong bond. Too bad you're human and male."

Nick smirked back, still aiming the gun at the older Renard. "Too bad you're family or I'd have no qualms."

It got him a wider smile. "I heard you only kill the bad ones, and not even those."

"There's a first time for everything. Are you volunteering?"

Sean shot him a look, clearly astounded by his mate's challenge.

"You would shoot family?"

"Sean and I aren't married, so you're not my brother-in-law."

Maurice grinned briefly. "Hasn't he taught you what a bond-mate is, Grimm? You think in human terms, not wesen. You two are married in our eyes. No rings necessary. That makes me, I'm sad to say, your brother-in-law."

The younger Renard snarled, a low, barely audible growl reaching Nick's ears.

"Now I have a Grimm tainting my family," Maurice sighed.

Nick held on hard when his mate nearly lunged forward. "Yes, too bad," he only said, keeping a tight leash on the other regnant.

_Please_, he thought fiercely. _Not here, not now. Not because of this asshole._

The blue eyes watched them, sharp and knowing. "You really need to work on your control, brother," he finally said. Maurice inclined his head, like a respectful bow. "Well, I've done my family duty. Time to go," he remarked lightly.

"If you come back, I'll kill you," Renard promised darkly, voice reflecting his returning composure.

There was no reply, but the older brother bowed mockingly to him, too, then turned to disappear in the shadows.

Nick's teeth were still on edge, his whole body vibrated with the wrongness of what he had felt from the other regnant, and the turmoil inside him was barely held in check, enhanced by the looming confrontation between two very powerful wesen. He still kept up his deliberate air of relaxation, of being unimpressed, because if he gave in, Renard would chase after his brother and the result wouldn't be pretty.

But it was hard.

And it was wearing on him.

He looked at the regnant, almost fully creatured-out again, looking impressive and terrifying and glorious. The shirt was a goner, torn apart by the emergence of the wings, and if Sean had let go completely, his clothes would have been nothing but shreds.

He looked… decidedly… definitely… damned hot!

And what was he doing thinking about that right now?

Nick let the gun finally fall to his side and then stowed it safely in his belt. One hand reached out and curled around a semi-scaly wrist. Sean's skin was deceptively smooth, like warm, slick silk mixed with polished metal. Strange and nothing he had ever felt before. For all his control, right now it had gone completely out the window and Nick was fascinated by the creature his mate was.

Renard reached out and touched the gash on Nick's shoulder, no longer bleeding, but the shirt was wet. Nick let him inspect his body, touching the bruises he seemed to feel thought the clothes.

There were a lot.

He would be black and blue by the next morning, but right now the adrenaline let him feel only light twinges. Even the injuries that had bled were barely a bother.

"Sean," he said softly, almost coaxing.

He needed his mate to reassert complete control, to shed the creature traits, because if the regnant didn't calm down, things might get out of hand at the slightest provocation. Only Nick saw the physical changes, but all it needed was a new spark for the explosion to come.

"Sean," he repeated more forcefully.

The burning orange-golden eyes finally faded to green, the façade was reasserted, and Renard gave his mate a calmer look.

Nick breathed a sigh of relief.

"He won't be back," the regnant said coldly.

"He better not!"

Okay, now that had burst out with more emotions than planned. But Maurice had gotten to him in a way not even a suspect had ever managed before.

It got him a smile. "Maybe I should have told you about regnant traditions."

"Traditions?" He stared. "Like sending a bunch of assassins after me?"

"Yes and no. I didn't think anyone would care enough to do this. Maurice was never such a stickler for protocol when it came to violence. His own mating was a quiet affair and Nadine was never questioned as his mate. This… It was to test your… our… bond. How strong it is. How well you can handle my instinctual primal side when you're threatened." Renard sighed and shook his head. "My kind tends to lose all that well-taught and deeply ingrained control and cool-headedness when the mate is threatened. A weak partner would be unable to keep his mate in line."

Keep Sean in line?

Fury flashed through him, hot and unrestrained, like a living thing with a mind of its own.

What kind of family…? How could Maurice…?

Nick glared at his mate. "You're not an animal on a leash!"

"No, but my instincts would lead to… overthrow logic and reason."

"That doesn't mean I've any say on your actions!" Nick protested.

"It was a test, Nick. Of us. Our bond. Of our compatibility."

"Compatibility?" Nick spat. "Who does he think he is?"

"Nick…"

"What's this about? Because I'm human?"

"No. Regnant genes are dominant. Even a human female would give birth to my kind. As for you being a man, we couldn't care less. I couldn't care less." There as warmth in Sean's voice. Emotions were leaking through.

"So it's because I'm a Grimm?" Nick demanded, not giving in to his own softer emotions.

"Yes, in a way."

"And I might have turned you over to what? The dark side? The light side? My side? Or are they afraid I'll lop your head off in your sleep?"

The anger was back.

Renard answered the anger with a smile. "No."

Nick refused to be swayed. "Then what?"

"It was a risk assessment, Nick. I am the ruling Guardian of Portland," he reminded the Grimm. "As such, your influence on me will influence the city. If you're weak, my rule would falter, make me a target. If you chose to control me completely…"

Renard didn't have to go on. Nick knew what that would mean. Grimms were still the bad guys in the wesen world. Grimms were the darkness to be feared.

Yes, he knew all about it.

But that wasn't him. It would never be him!

Nick was doing everything he could to change that perception, to be fair, not to be a killer. Grimms were supposedly arbitrators in the wesen world and as Renard's mate he was trying to be even more. The Guardian of Portland and the Grimm, who worked like a cop in both worlds. He had found allies, he had found friends, and he had placed tiny slivers of trust. So far Nick had only ever killed if push became shove and things got lethal for him.

Only in defense.

Never planned, never an assassination, never!

"Your brother is an ass," the Grimm snarled.

"Agreed."


	3. Chapter 3

Sean pulled him close, dropping his façade, watching him closely. Nick felt the unabated want and hunger as he looked into the non-human eyes, that rush he always had when facing the lethal predator Sean Renard truly was. The wickedly sharp teeth and the deadly claws were nothing he feared. Actually, Nick had never known he had that kink until the day Renard had claimed him.

And Renard had never shown him his true wesen face until the moment they had come so much more closer. The intimacy had broken the first shields and the regnant hadn't really fought for control over that part of his life. Nick had accepted the hidden truth and had embraced everything that came with it.

He had been surprised, sure. He had never seen so much as the slightest shift in Sean's face all the time before, even after he had realized his Grimm heritage, but now…? It was as if Renard had become comfortable dropping his shields. The iron control was for official purposes, for politics, for the office. Nick delighted in making his mate creature out.

It was decidedly hot.

It also hit something deep inside him, resonated with a part that had only now come out to play, and the thrill was something else. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before.

Like a dare.

Like a hunt.

Like a claim he had on this powerful being that was the Guardian of a whole city, so much stronger and more lethal than even a Grimm could be.

Somewhere in Marie's trailer there might be Renard's weak spot, a weapon to injure him, to kill him, like there were so many of them. Nick had never looked for something that wasn't labeled or something he hadn't seen somewhere before. Regnants were rare, elusive wesen that he had yet to find a whole paragraph about. And even the references he had found had been vague.

"He did it because of what I am," the regnant said, jolting him out of his appreciation and reverie. "Because of what a mate means to one of our kind. You're my balance, you can… influence me. Your influence is already there. I became stronger through you, Nick. I became more. My power over my protectorate has grown."

He knew that. He had seen it in so many little things. Other wesen took note, too. Adalind and her sisters, for example. Or Monroe. There had been that speculative look in the blutbad's eyes the last time they had hung out for a beer.

Nick wrapped an arm around the taller man, then nipped at the lower lip, finally taking the tempting mouth into a hard kiss. Renard rumbled his approval, reciprocating, careful not to let Nick slice himself on his fangs.

"You're strong, Grimm," he whispered. "Powerful. Feared. And very much respected. You have no idea what an impact you have had so far. And my claim on you has caused a minor upset among my family."

Nick snorted. "So what?"

"They believe you responsible for this bond."

Renard caressed Nick's back, his sides, kissing him again, nibbling at his lips. It was like he was trying to cushion the words with gentle touches.

Nick pushed, forcing him against the wall of the building.

"Maybe they're right," he said hoarsely, anger flashing through him. "Maybe I knew what I was doing when we first met and when I wasn't even a Grimm yet. Maybe I influenced you into the psychic link. Maybe I manipulated you. Maybe you have no idea what I did to you."

Yes, he was angry. He had been labeled 'bad guy' and 'bogeyman' right from the start. People who didn't know him feared the Grimm side. Wesen he had been nothing but friendly with treated him with nervous fright. He had scared Bud by just saying a hello.

It still grated on Nick, despite the fact that many had come around. Like Bud. He hated the fear, though it was useful when facing a more ill-inclined creature.

Now Sean's family was doing the same: judging him without really knowing who he was.

Renard smiled. "Oh, but I do know what you did to me."

Nick's eyes narrowed. "Really?"

"You claimed me, Nick Burkhardt. I had to have you. I would have been happy just to have you near. But then you let me in and you claimed everything." Renard nuzzled one temple. "You're my addiction and I won't be able to let go. You have me completely. And you're mine. There is this primal part in me that wants to own you, that wants you submissive and only for me."

Nick shivered, his own primal side hissing in indignation at the words. He belonged to no one!

The thought must have translated into his expression because Renard drew back, looking very much amused, though the glint in the green-golden eyes was tell-tale.

"Tell your primal part to fuck off," Nick snarled.

"Hm, but you like the primal part," came the teasing.

Hell yeah! He did. It was amazing and wild and unrestrained and something inside him echoed with the same intensity, reflected that passion and hunger back, wanted it just as badly.

Nick stared at his mate then smiled wickedly. "You're mine," he stated and he knew just how true it was. "All of you. Never to be shared. You're mine and you belong to me."

Renard grabbed his buttocks and brought them as close together as was possible with so many layers of clothes between them. His lips and fangs trailed down Nick's neck and he tilted it back, allowing the scrape of dangerous canines along his vulnerable neck and throat.

And his jeans were becoming decidedly too tight.

Renard licked over the juncture of neck and shoulder, then bit down lightly.

Nick screwed his eyes shut, shuddering.

"I'm yours," Sean murmured. "Completely. You laid your claim on me a long time ago."

He looked into the sincere, green eyes and smiled. "Any more family I have to expect?"

Renard grinned. "Not sure. We don't really like leaving our protectorates, so there won't be a line out the door."

"Your brother didn't have a problem."

"He never had. And he won't be back."

"Parents? Uncle? Cousin three times removed?"

"Sister, actually. She might drop by one day. My parents would never leave Europe and the rest of the family is very deeply rooted there, too. Maurice actually left the continent and moved to South America twenty years ago. Chile, if I'm not mistaken."

"Huh. And that sister of yours?"

"Mireille. Older, too. Actually the first born Renard."

"Future queen?"

Sean laughed. "We might be seen as royalty, but regnants are neither kings nor queens. She chose London as her city."

"Married?" Nick inquired.

"Yes. Now, is the interrogation into my family over?"

"Not by a long shot."

Nick kissed his partner, putting all he felt, all he wanted, into the kiss. Renard replied hungrily and their hips moved against each other, the pace becoming more frantic. Nick pulled back with an effort, looking into the dilated eyes, his own breathing heavy.

"For now it is," he added, voice heavily laced with emotions of a different kind.

The next kiss was more demanding, Renard sliding his hands underneath the rumpled shirt, the light tease of his fingers making Nick shudder. And the fangs that grazed his neck were shooting sparks through him.

"Not here," he managed.

In the back of an alley, out in the open, rutting against each other like two thieves in the night.

Renard smiled, canines still a little more pointy than normal. "There is a place near-by."

Nick had given up on wondering how the other man could have so many places to go. It was his territory. He was entitled to own more than just his condo.

"Near-by sounds good."

x x x x x

They barely made it into the room without tearing each other's clothes off. Nick had no idea where exactly he was, just that his body was thrumming with need, with want, and that if he didn't get Sean to do something about this tension, he would do it for them.

Nick gasped in surprise and protest as he was slammed against the wall, a heavier body pressed into his, but then Renard bent to claim his lips in a kiss and oh - what a kiss. There was a raw hunger and need in this kiss and when Renard shifted a little, pushed his knee between his thighs there was hard evidence speaking of said need. The taller man broke the kiss and looked at him, and Nick groaned again at the golden fire burning in those green eyes.

The hard body shifted and Nick moved against the pressure against his own groin, which had come to life the moment Renard had kissed him hard. Renard released one wrist to let his hand slip under the t-shirt, caressing the bare skin underneath.

"Sean…"

Whatever Nick was about to say was cut short by the fiery kiss placed on his lips again and the fingers stroking over some very sensitive areas, evoking an involuntary shiver.

Nick sighed into the other man's mouth and opened up completely, feeling gentle fingers pushing up his t-shirt. Renard broke the kiss again and then Nick watched wide-eyed as his mate gave him a feral grin and slowly got down on his knees. His hands slid over Nick's body, followed by a pair of hot and knowing lips until those fingers brushed over his groin, kneaded his spread thighs, bit by bit starting to undo his zipper. He caressed each inch of exposed skin with his fingertips and lips.

Nick's head fell back against the wall with a soft thump and he moaned, hips twitching when his pants were undone. Renard wriggled a hand inside, stroking his hard member and - god, yes! - Nick grabbed the wall for support, as Renard started to give him one hell of a blowjob. On his knees, right in the hallway!

"Sean... I... god... could we ..."

"Hm?" Renard looked up, hands still on his hips, and slowly got to his feet, not pausing to caress him for one second.

"...bed?"

"If you insist..."

The next thing Nick knew he was grabbed by the wrist, hauled into the bedroom and tossed into the bed. Sean was fast. Damned fast. Nick was straddled by his mate, held down firmly by the wrists.

"Don't. Move..." Renard whispered into his ear as he trailed the line of his jaw with his lips.

He let his hands run down the Grimm's arms, over his chest, thumbs caressing the hard nipples, closely followed by his tongue, as he slowly slid down Nick's body, peeling off his pants in the process. Nick clenched his fists into the sheets, but complied, sighing when he felt Renard's hands parting his legs, stroking his thighs.

Then he gasped, moaning at the moist heat that engulfed his hardness once again and his hips twitched involuntarily. He was already beyond coherent thinking when he sensed a slick finger entering him, then two - when had Renard managed to get some lube? – searching, finding and ruthlessly stroking him from the inside.

Seconds later the fingers were removed, and Renard's weight was pressing him down as he slid into him with one fluid motion.

Nick was close to screaming when Renard didn't move, just grabbed his hands, entwining their fingers. He looked down at Nick, panting hard, and the fire of passion and hunger and something else that was still burning in his eyes made Nick tremble with an answering need. He groaned, panted and shifted, begging wordlessly, and received an answering groan in return.

Renard bent down and took him, completely, entirely, no restraints, no guards. His mouth was on Nick's, his tongue doing wonderful things while he thrust into him. There was no gentle loving, no slow and sensual this time, just pure and simple need and lust, hard and deep. Nick didn't complain. It was him who screamed out his completion the moment Renard reached his own and bit down on his neck, and he heard his mate's rough and deep answering groan as Renard closely followed him over the edge.

tbc...


	4. Chapter 4

There was a text message on his phone when he checked it the next morning. Green eyes narrowed and he nearly gave in to the urge to snarl at the innocent device.

The gall!

"What?" Nick asked, turning over and pushing himself up on one elbow.

It was an enticing site, despite the clear signs of injuries on the pale skin. Nick's shoulder injury looked red and angry and slightly puffy, but Renard had checked it twice and there was no poison. The Grimm felt no averse effects, aside from the twinges and pulls, and he had patiently sat through the treatment. There was a bruise spreading from the shoulder to the neck, more bruises showing on his upper body.

None were dangerous or needed additional treatment. They were simply reminders for Renard just how much he despised Maurice for his 'risk assessment'. Part of him still wanted to find him and rip his wings out.

"My brother," he now spat, feeling the old annoyance rise..

Nick sat up and plucked the phone out of Renard's hands, scrolling through the text. His brows rose.

"Huh."

'Hope your Grimm is a good fuck' had been the message. 'Try not to neglect your city over the pretty face.'

"So? Am I?"

Sean blinked at him, still radiating anger, now mixed with bafflement.

"Am I?" Nick repeated, a grin stealing over his lips. "A good fuck, Sean?"

The regnant tossed the phone away, pushed Nick back onto the mattress and straddled him. The bare chest underneath him, actually the naked man underneath him, had his creature brain miss a thought or two.

Nick's grin widened.

"I don't care what my brother says or thinks or wants," Renard hissed, feeding on the indignation and anger instead of the want and lust for his mate.

"You look like you care," the Grimm pointed out cheerfully.

"I don't."

"He does. About who you fuck."

Renard leaned closer. "You're my mate." He kissed Nick's lips gently. "And I love you." Another kiss. "There is nothing crude about what we do." And another. "And my brother can call himself lucky that I didn't kill him." He rested his head briefly against Nick's. "He has no right to question my choices."

The Grimm wrapped his arms around the broad shoulders and found Sean's lips in a renewed kiss, this one more than a brief contact.

"He didn't question the choice. He followed tradition."

Green eyes flashed.

"So maybe he went a little overboard."

A rumble.

"And," Nick added as if he hadn't heard the warning growl, "he might have taken it a step too far because of who I am."

Renard's fingers dug into the mattress.

"Wouldn't you have questioned his choices at taking a Grimm mate? Under his command? In his shoes, I mean."

"No!" he spat.

"Really?" Nick's brows rose.

Sean fought his inner beast. Of course he would have questioned his brother's sanity, but he would also have seen the rightness of it. Grimms were perfect mates, Grimms were meant to be a regnant's partner!

"And he's family."

Renard snorted.

The soft vibration of Nick's mind caressed his own, calming the turmoil with such natural ease it always stunned the regnant, wrapping around him the same way the body wrapped around his.

Nick carded the fingers of one hand into the short hair. "Family is important, Sean."  
>Because he didn't have any anymore. His last living family member was dead.<p>

Renard brushed another kiss over his lips, then looked into the serious, gray eyes. "My family has no influence on me. Regnants don't have family ties like that. Maurice is being a pompous ass. Whether he approves of my relationships or not is of no consequence. This is my protectorate and I would have every right to remove him, piece by piece, if I wanted to. He'd do the same if I dared to enter his territory."

Nick's fingers kept up the soothing caress.

"And to attack my mate…"

Now the golden glow was back and there was a hint of fangs. The Grimm never stopped the touches.

"It's over, Sean."

The regnant growled. "The guts…"

"I'm fine."

A hand touched his injured shoulder and Nick grimaced. "You're not," Renard rumbled.

"It's a scratch. And how about we forget this?"

Renard wouldn't. Never. But looking into the warm eyes, the handsome face, he felt some of the anger drain away again.

Balance.

A mate meant balance and he felt it again and again when he was together with Nick. The bond had done wonders for him and he knew he wouldn't give this up for the world at his feet. Maurice had been lucky to escape with all his limbs attached, which was another sign how much Nick kept him in line.

Just thinking back to that moment, feeling the incredible strength of the Grimm wrapped around his soul, taming his urges without reducing him to a trained pet… Renard shivered. It still sent pinpricks of something close to wonder and awe through him. It kept showing him just what lay dormant in the younger man, what Nick truly was and was becoming. He was evolving and when he let the Grimm take over, he was an awe-inspiring sight to behold.

And whatever Maurice told the rest of the family back home, Renard didn't care.

He never had.

Portland was his.

As was Nick.

It was all that mattered.

Pushing it all aside, the regnant turned fully to his mate, showing Nick just how deeply he felt about him.

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When he received a call two days later, Sean Renard rolled his eyes as he listened to the chipper voice at the other end of the line. Mireille Luce Renard was the ruling Guardian of London and the area. Sean hadn't seen her in ages. Like all his family, with the unwanted exception of Maurice.

"Sean!" she greeted him, sounding chipper and happy.

He sighed silently. "Miri." He should have known she would call. He should have known Maurice would talk to the family. And of course his oldest sibling would call him somehow.

"How are you doing, little brother?"

"I'm fine. Why are you calling?"

She chuckled. "You're my brother."

"And you haven't called the past years."

Ten, actually.

"Time passes so quickly. Especially with a busy city like mine."

London was a handful and it showed just how strong and powerful Mireille was that she had been the Guardian for the past forty years. Renard knew that it took a lot of juggling and hiding trails to be at the top of the wesen food-chain in that regard, to be an influential figure in the human world, too.

"Miri…"

"You could have told me, you know." With a distinctive British accent, she now sounded like a snobbish teacher. "About your mate. Hearing it from Maurice… what were you thinking?"

Renard groaned.

"Does anyone else in the family know?"

"None of their business," he snapped.

"Oh, touchy."

"Miri," he warned her.

"It is our business. You are family."

"Since when have you become so attached to the concept?" he snapped.

"Humans tend to rub off on you," was her mock-haughty reply. "Tell me, brother dear. Or you'll have a new regnant invasion in your city."

"You wouldn't!" he hissed.

"Dare me."

He closed his eyes, fighting for composure. Unlike Maurice, Mireille was a more likable sibling and while she managed to rile him up as well, it wasn't as sharp and aggressive as his brother. His parents hadn't talked to him ever since he had become the Guardian of Portland. His only contact with his old home were a select few people. And even them he only called once in a while.

Like with the coins.

"His name is Nick," he finally acquiesced.

"And?"

"What more do you want?"

"All the little details. Like the fact that he's your subordinate at work?"

He heard the suggestive tone quite clearly.

"Or that he's a Grimm? Looks like you not only found a mate, you found the perfect mate."

Yes, he had.

"I'm jealous, really."

"Andrew is your perfect match."

Her laugh was soft, filled with a reflection of love. Renard had never met his brother-in-law, but Andrew Luce had captured Mireille's heart and she was hellishly protective of the man. The few times she had mentioned him after meeting Andrew, Renard had heard it in her voice that this was him; the very one.

"And he didn't cut off your head," his sister went on cheerfully. "Big plus. Maurice told me he's a different kind of Grimm. Catch and release? How did he catch you, Sean?"

Sisters!

"Yes, he's one of my junior detectives. And yes, he's a Grimm."

"Sean…" she wheedled. "Tell me. You bloody well know Maurice will get this back to the others and even if no one else is stupid enough to walk into your protectorate unannounced, there are email and phones and texts… You could send me a picture of him. Maurice mentioned he's handsome."

That last remark almost had him snarl.

"Sean? Please?"

Renard knew when he had lost. He actually liked his older sister, mostly because she had kept a respectful distance from him, had never forced her way into his city, and she hadn't tried to hurt his mate.

So he did tell her more. And Mireille was interrogating him like a pro. She sounded pleased as punch that her little brother had found a mate, someone so special that everything else was secondary.

"I want to meet him," she finally said.

The regnant bristled, a low rumble escaping his lips.

"Oh, please!" she huffed. "It's not like I want your city or your Grimm! But I never met one like him before."

"You ran into a Grimm in London," he reminded her.

"He was a bloody maniac!"

Renard smiled as he remembered that escapade from ten years ago. Mireille had been outraged at the audacity of the Grimm who had left bodies in his wake as he had hunted down two blutbaden in the streets of London.

"You have all the luck," she sighed. "He must be gorgeous."

He was. More than that. He was simply perfect and he was Renard's.

"And he must be good for you, too," Mireille added. "You sound like it."

He grimaced.

"Take care of him. And yourself."

"I will," he replied seriously.

As long as Maurice stayed out of Portland, hopefully out of the state, and even better out of the country! He might be able to tolerate Mireille, but that was questionable. Renard had no problem with the fact that Nick was best friends with Monroe, but another regnant was competition. For him, for his protectorate, and for his mate!

When she had hung up, three hours had passed and Sean sank back into his chair. Damn the woman! So much for handling work this Saturday afternoon!

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Nick had just walked in the door when his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and found the number was unknown.

"Burkhardt," he answered.

"Hello Nick," a woman said cheerfully, her voice accented. "My name is Mireille Luce Renard. Maybe my little brother mentioned me already."

Nick frowned. "Yes," he said slowly. "You're his older sister?"

"Perfect! He did mention me. I was so happy to hear he found a mate in you!"

Nick sat down on the couch, mystified. "Uh, okay?"

And then the questions started.

For the first time he wondered how wesen that claimed their family ties were barely existant and never really saw their relatives after they left home, were so immensely interested in a regnant's mate.

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"You have a very nosy family," Nick grumped as he walked into the hideously expensive city condo, straight into the kitchen, and got himself a soft drink. He would have preferred a beer, but he still had a job to do tonight.

Brows rose. "What?"

"Your sister called!"

There was a flare of gold and Nick knew even without the strain that suddenly pulled at the normally so quiet and soft connection that he had hit a nerve. Dark brows lowered over the narrowing eyes and Renard's features were suddenly sharper.

"Mireille?" he exploded.

"I hope you have only the one because she was bad enough! She should go into police work. She has interesting interrogation methods!" Nick took a deep swallow, enjoying the cold drink.

"What did she want?" the regnant snarled.

"Oh, just about everything. I wouldn't have been surprised if she had inquired about my blood type and shoe size. At least she didn't ask about my intentions; at least directly."

Long fingers clenched and unclenched. Nick tilted his head, studying the taller man, then set the can on the counter and walked over to the seething regnant. He pulled hard at the bond he felt in his mind, and Sean blinked.

"Calm down, okay? She wasn't any worse than Juliette's mother. Actually, they were very much alike. And she's nice."

"She's nosy!"

He placed his hand flat on the muscular, broad chest. The bond vibrated between them, their psychic link straining. Renard wanted to pull away, wanted to explode in outrage and indignation.

Nick wouldn't let him.

"She's a woman and your sister, Sean. She asked, I answered. I think the Grimm part is what upset her a little. She mentioned a Robert Weishaupt… seems like they clashed."

"A mild understatement."

Nick pushed his mate toward the couch and Renard willing let himself fall, then the Grimm settled over his lap. He caught the regnant's lips in a gentle kiss.

Sean answered, opening up under him, muscles starting to uncoil. Strong hands slid over his thighs, his lower back, his sides. The connection calmed slightly and Nick let go of it, trusting his mate not to rouse again.

"She promised no one else would call. Me or you."

Renard grunted.

Nick smiled and kissed him again. He nipped at the lower lip, gazing into the intense, deeply green again eyes.

"I really like her. Unlike your brother."

"No one likes Maurice," was the cool response. "I hate him as a child, and I never learned to like him as an adult." Sean's hands slipped underneath Nick's shirt, pulling him closer.

Making out on the couch was fun, Nick decided, losing himself in the touches, caresses and kisses. It was also soothing the wesen, calming Sean to a degree, even though nothing much else happened.

When they finally let up, Nick knew that his mate had reasserted complete control over his emotions. He ran gentle fingers through the short hair, hiding the smile that wanted to escape when the other man leaned into the touch.

"Got a date," he murmured apologetically.

"Someone I know?"

Nick only smiled.

"Hunting?" the regnant inquired.

"No. Surveillance. Legwork. Nothing concrete. Rumors and such."

Renard raised an eyebrow, but Nick shook his head. This was Grimm business. He didn't turn to his mate for information on wesen; he always went to Monroe or used the books in the trailer. Monroe kept complaining about it, pointing out that he had a perfectly good source in his mate, but he had never said no. And Nick didn't really want to tap into that knowledge.  
>Sean Renard was his mate, he wasn't his partner as a Grimm. And Renard also kept him separate from wesen politics out of the same reasoning.<p>

So he didn't tell him just who he was after, what he was surveilling, or where he and Monroe were going tonight.

"Long night?" Renard asked.

"Probably."

Sean nodded his acceptance. Nick gave him a last kiss, then reluctantly rose. He had a few preparations to make and Monroe to pick up. He needed his help tonight, especially since blutbaden had good noses and better eyes than humans. And looking for a forest creature in the park was like the needle in the haystack scenario. Can't see the forest for the trees.

The bond was humming softly between them and he smiled at his mate, then grabbed his jacket and car keys.

"See you later," he called.

Renard nodded, eyes sharp and deep and filled with emotions he couldn't hide. Then the door closed and he was on his way to the elevator.

He had a waldmann to find.

fin for this one!


End file.
